A night of careless passion leaves
Battlemage Jex Xander and Adept Enari Alycon
in a precarious position. Long-time lovers
they might be, but the Imperial ambassador and the daughter of Egalion’s High Mage have rather public roles in the court—whether they wish it or not—and
scandal couldn’t come at a worse time.

When a hostile kingdom reluctantly
agrees to parley, the fate of two-thousand years of peace is on the line. In
the midst of negotiations, Enari becomes
the target of one of the Greater Maelstrom. She and Jex must race against time
to save her life and that of her unborn child. What happens when an
earth-shattering secret, a demon bent on destruction, and a kingdom teetering
on the brink of war collide is anyone’s guess.

The decisions of a few will determine
the fate of many, and who or what will remain standing
in the end is still uncertain. Hearts and lives are on the cusp of
irrevocable change…and not necessarily
for the better.

About the Author

Ronelle Antoinette lives in western Colorado with her husband, two cats, and
one dog-who-believes-he's-a-person. While she is a mother to none, she’s an
auntie to what should qualify as a small army. She is an admitted caffeine
addict, chocoholic, and hopeless romantic who has carried on a passionate
affair with the genre of fantasy since she was old enough to read 'chapter books'. ​​She dabbled in creative writing for
many years and even considered it as a major in college. (She ended up getting
a Bachelor's degree in Counseling Psychology.) She published her first novel,
Errant Spark, in July of 2016.

He raised the shard, letting her examine it for a heartbeat or two, then used
the blade to cut her palm and his own. Enari
winced at the line of pain that blazed across her skin, biting back a hiss just
in time to keep from breaking the mandate of silence. Jex pressed their weeping
palms together and laced his fingers through hers.

She could almost taste
her own dread now, bitter as a mouthful
of lemon rind.

“Blood to blood and gift
to gift,” Jex intoned, “I lend you my strength for the test ahead. I will hold
the door so you may pass and may it be with joy that I close it after your
return.” There was a hint of fear in his emerald eyes as he spoke the final
words.

“Initiate, it is
time for you to face The Pool and The Dweller below,” her father announced.

Sweat broke out across
her forehead and the back of her neck as
her eyes settled on The Pool.

Jex rose to his feet,
fingers still twined with hers, and she balked, not wanting to go any nearer to
that still and menacing water. He reached behind her and seized her belt,
forcing her up and forward. His hand remained at the small of her back to hold
her in place once they stood at the very lip
of The Pool.

Her stomach knotted and a
slithering nausea twisted its greasy fingers around her throat. She
swallowed hard and tasted bile.

Jex put his mouth against
her ear and began to speak.

“We have to lower you
into the water. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and don’t be afraid. It’ll
be over before you know it.”

She turned to him,
shaking her head. More than anything, she did not want to let that
black water touch her. Blue eyes met green
and she pled the only way she could.

His expression went flat and his voice hardened. “You asked me to
serve as your Chosen. Let me do my duty.”

“Be silent!” the
high mage barked.

Jex gave him a dirty look, but nodded once and the two men took hold of her, each putting a hand under
one of her arms and grasping her hands in theirs. With agonizing slowness, they
began to lower her.

The first shock of bitter
cold stole her breath.

As the velvet of her robe
became wet, it dragged on her and clung to her legs. She kicked, trying to free
her feet but the heavy fabric stuck fast.

Before she was
half-submerged, she started to tremble. The water felt just short of freezing
solid and had a slimy quality that disgusted her.

Soon, only her head
remained clear and Jex was crouching at
her side, still gripping her bloody hand. His other settled on her hair.

“Deep breath, now,” he
directed.

And before she could even
think to scream, he jerked his hand free of hers and thrust her head beneath
the surface.